My experience of Antisemitism & Ignorance in Hastings & Rye Labour Party Dany Louise, November 2019

Three facts about antisemitism in the Labour Party:

The Equalities & Human Rights Commission (EHRC) is conducting a statutory investigation of the Labour Party for institutional antisemitism.

The investigation was triggered after the , and the Campaign Against Antisemitism, submitted evidence of about 1000 incidents to the EHRC. Every one of these incidents had been vetted by lawyers, to ensure that it met the high standards of legal proof required.

In addition, Labour Against Antisemitism has submitted to the EHRC a 15,000-page dossier of screenshots of antisemitic remarks made online by members of the Labour Party. That is fifteen thousand pages of antisemitism from Labour Party members made on Facebook, Twitter and elsewhere.

Going public

When I resigned from the Labour Party in February 2019, I cited as my reason the recognised increase in antisemitism in the Party under , and in particular the treatment of Jewish MP Luciana Berger. Since then, I have sat as an Independent Councillor for Hastings Borough Council (HBC).

Although I concentrated on the national picture in my resignation letter, I could have cited antisemitism in Hastings & Rye CLP (Constituency Labour Party). My experience is that it is endemic and unchecked in this organisation.

I didn't do this for two reasons. I thought that the overall national picture was of more strategic importance, and still do. But I also made the decision out of residual loyalty to my former colleagues. I wanted to spare them the shame of being called out publicly. I hoped that my resignation would motivate them to take the issue seriously, and to look at themselves and certain of their number more critically.

Sadly, that hasn't been the case. In reality, they have responded to my resignation by embedding themselves even more deeply within the antisemitic zeitgeist.

With a general election announced, and HBC leader Peter Chowney the Labour parliamentary candidate for Hastings & Rye, I have made the decision to go public. I think it important that voters are aware of my experience of a culture of ignorance and antisemitism in the Labour Party here in Hastings.

Here is a short summary of my experience in Hastings & Rye CLP.

Before I was elected in May 2018:

 I was literally screamed at by Labour councillor Mike Turner to condemn in an incident of overt bullying: “Go on, do it NOW!”  Not one of the witnesses, who included a current councillor, remarked on his behaviour or attempted to stop him.  I was told that antisemitism in Labour is “just your opinion” by a Labour branch chair.  I was asked how I knew that Ken Livingstone's false allegation that the Zionist movement colluded with Hitler was untrue, by East Branch Vice-Chair and now CLP Vice-Chair, Jay Kramer.  I was told that accusations of antisemitism have a hidden agenda from the Right (Jay Kramer).  I was told that “ should complain quietly” (Jay Kramer).  I was accused of having a right-wing motivation for being concerned about antisemitism (Jay Kramer).  Cllr Sue Beaney suggested to me: “Maybe as a cabinet we need a line on the Jewish question”.  Peter Chowney told me that “he had sympathy for Warren Morgan [Brighton & Hove Council Leader] until he made those comments about Conference”, after Warren Morgan publicly spoke out about antisemitism at the Labour Party conference in 2017.  Multiple anti-Israel motions at Labour party meetings.  The CLP rejecting the international definition of antisemitism in favour of a watered-down version.  The CLP shortlisting and interviewing a known antisemite for Parliamentary candidate.

After I was elected in May 2018:

 I had to endure an East Branch motion (passed) to reinstate Marc Wadsworth, expelled from Labour for antisemitism.  Cllr Mike Turner stated that the Labour MPs who supported the Enough is Enough demonstration should be “expelled for bringing the Party into disrepute” to seeming agreement from those present at the East Branch meeting.  Peter Chowney told Full Council that he didn't know what the definition of antisemitism is, and that anyway “it isn't relevant to Hastings Council.”  When I wrote to Peter Chowney explaining why antisemitism is relevant to Hastings, he replied: ““It might have been better to talk to me about this, rather than sending me such an unpleasant, accusatory email.”  Peter Chowney would not support or endorse antisemitism training for elected Members.  Peter Chowney and Cllr Kim Forward opposed the proposed policy of avoiding major religious dates when setting the yearly Council calendar.  Peter Chowney is content to have as a Labour councillor, the co-Chair of an organisation regarded as “part of the problem” of Labour antisemitism.

After I resigned in February 2019:

 The Labour party whip told Members that none of them should speak to me.  Peter Chowney tried to have me removed as a Trustee of the Magdalen & Lasher Charity.  All councillors have ignored my whistleblowing emails and evidence about Cllr Leah Levane, who is co-Chair of a deeply problematic organisation, JVL, which supports and enables antisemites in the Labour Party.  Peter Chowney has overtly sided with Cllr Leah Levane, by attempting to discredit me and calling the factual information I have presented to him and all councillors “lies” and “libellous”.  The Labour group allowed Cllr Levane to verbally attack me for 40 minutes in a Labour group meeting, and disciplined a councillor for “uncomradely behaviour” when she protested.  Labour councillors have booed and heckled me twice in Full Council when I have brought the antisemitic activity of Cllr Levane's organisation to their attention.  Chair of Full Council, Cllr Nigel Sinden would not let me talk and repeatedly switched off my microphone when I tried to bring JVL antisemitic activity to their attention after the Secretary of JVL, Glyn Secker, was suspended from the Labour party for antisemitic hate- speech.  The Labour group has voted Cllr Levane to be their Chair.  Cllr Levane has been re-selected as candidate for Castle Ward in the May 2020 local elections.

Finally I have done everything I can do with the Labour Group, and following all the Council's procedures, to ask them to address their local issues with antisemitism. They have not acted. I heard indirectly that Peter Chowney has taken a strong stand against me and in support of Cllr Levane. On a personal level, this has been a disappointing and immensely saddening two years. It has been a slow unfolding of incidents, events and increasing knowledge, to the point where I now truly believe that Hastings & Rye CLP, and the Labour Party generally, are institutionally antisemitic.

My longer document reveals how that institutional antisemitism plays out locally, in one small town. My understanding is that this is being repeated in many towns, across many CLPs, and it mirrors the takeover of the Labour Party by ideologues at the national level.

The Conservative Party is in no better condition than the Labour Party, and I am unwilling to throw away my right to vote. I will therefore be voting for Nick Perry, the Libdem candidate, on December 12th.

There is a longer downloadable document which gives more detail and context to my experience.

Further notes on the issues:

Note 1: “as-a-Jews”

In the Labour Party, there are a number of people who use the Jewish identity as collateral to deny antisemitism. The common form this takes is to start a sentence: “Speaking as a Jew”, and then go on to deny the existence of antisemitism in the Labour Party, or to call it a right-wing smear against the Party.

The co-Chair of JVL, Jenny Manson, has admitted that she only identifies as Jewish to help her anti-israel activism.

Note 2: IHRA

IHRA does not stop free speech on Israel, it stops free antisemitic speech on Israel, specifically:

 Denying the Jewish people their right to self-determination, e.g., by claiming that the existence of a State of Israel is a racist endeavour.

 Applying double standards by requiring of it a behaviour not expected or demanded of any other democratic nation.

 Using the symbols and images associated with classic antisemitism (e.g., claims of Jews killing Jesus or blood libel) to characterize Israel or Israelis.

 Drawing comparisons of contemporary Israeli policy to that of the Nazis.

 Holding Jews collectively responsible for actions of the state of Israel.

Note 3: How can a Jew be antisemitic?

The Jewish community has a cultural concept of the “self-hating Jew”.

There are many reasons why someone might hate themselves. Personally I have noticed this basic psychological formulation in some Jewish people I have met:

They have mummy/daddy/family issues during their formative years, leading to internal conflict over their Jewish identity. They externalise, and then dramatise the internal conflict by working ferociously against the world's single, most potent symbol of Jewishness: the State of Israel.

I've come to the conclusion that sadly, these are the types of Jews the people I've met in the Labour Party in Hastings are most familiar with.